Deng shows daily why he's so indispensable to Bulls

Thibodeau: 'He brings so many different things to winning'

Whenever Jimmy Butler used to watch the Bulls play while he was at Marquette, Luol Deng's minutes always stood out.

"When you play that much it has to mean something," Butler said. "You're doing everything the team needs."

Once Butler arrived as the Bulls' first-round pick, he learned why Deng is so indispensable.

"He's always in here early, and he doesn't have to be. He's a vet," Butler said. "But he's constantly taking care of his body, studying the game. He always wants to get better. That's the one thing that rubs off on me the most."

Deng participated in the Bulls' entire practice Sunday, showing no repercussions from playing 41 minutes Saturday at Milwaukee in his first action since missing seven games with a torn ligament in his left wrist. Deng didn't address reporters, but coach Tom Thibodeau said the eighth-year forward looked good.

"He said he felt fine afterward," Thibodeau said. "He was good in practice. We're encouraged by that."

Deng's return — and Derrick Rose's electric start — seemed to energize his teammates Saturday. Beyond his seamless return in posting 21 points and nine rebounds, Deng's presence impacted the team similarly to how he has set an example for Butler to follow.

Kyle Korver called him a "safety net" when asked what the Bulls missed about Deng.

"He's such a great leader," Thibodeau said. "Even being injured, he was still involved in every aspect, from practice to being engaged in the games. He was helping any way he could. He was in Jimmy's ear every game, getting him ready.

"Luol has a lot of mental and physical toughness. He brings so many different things to winning, all the intangibles you look for, from defense to hustle plays to moving with the ball to moving without the ball. He can shoot the 3. He can slash. He can post. And he does it all well. He makes the team better in every aspect."

This is why it's so critical for Deng to be able to play through the pain and avoid surgery.

"There are going to be nights that are tougher than others," Deng said Saturday in Milwaukee. "But when I had the injury, I knew right away that it would be fine because I had it before."

Deng's rookie season ended in March 2005 when he opted for surgery to repair the same torn ligament in his right wrist. He missed the Bulls' first-round playoff loss to the Wizards.